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ABOUT ABUNDANCE SAUNA

Welcome to the Abundance Sauna. Abundance is a traditional, wood fired sauna in the Finnish tradition. The sauna experience offers many health benefits including: Easing pain, Reducing stress levels, Improving cardiovascular health, healthier skin, relief from some types of asthma. Our primary goal is one of relaxation and well being.

It will feel exhilarating, when a person sits in a sauna, their heart rate increases and blood vessels widen. This increases circulation, in a similar way to low to moderate exercise depending on the duration of sauna use. Heart rate may increase to 100-150 beats a minute while using a sauna.

In the traditional sauna, it is a faux pas to wear clothing in the hot room, although it is acceptable to sit on a small towel. In Abundance sauna participants are asked to wear swimmies, or remain otherwise covered during the experience. While cooling off it is common to wrap a towel around the body.

Although mixed saunas are quite common, for a typical Finn the sauna is, with few exceptions, a strictly non-sexual place. In Finland a "sauna" means only a sauna.

For someone brought up in Finland, the rules are instinctive but they are difficult to put into words. Depending on the size, composition, relationships, and the age structure of the group three basic patterns can emerge: Everyone can go to the sauna at the same time, men and women may take a sauna separately, or a family can go to sauna separately.

How it works:

In the hot room there is a wood fired stove. On the top of the stove are granite stones. The fire is lit and the stones are heated for at least 90 minutes before use. The room will reach a temperature of approximately 180 to 200 degrees.

Inside the hot room will be HOT. There are two benches, the higher bench will be warmer than the lower bench. Take a seat. Find the dipper located in the water bucket. The water bucket may have a bundle of birch leaves soaking in it. We will get to those in a moment. Using the dipper, throw some of the tea water from the bucket on to the stones to create LOYLY (steam). Be cautious with the water realizing that more water creates more loyly = more heat. Let it wash over you. Keep your head down. Take short shallow breaths. You will begin to perspire. You may leave at anytime. Pace yourself.

Take a break, go outside sit on the bench, cool off...Hydrate

When you feel ready head back in for another round. The number and .duration of hot room-cooling down cycles varies from person to person based on personal preference. Usually one takes at least two or three cycles, lasting a total of 30-60 minutes. After the last round, use the shower to rinse off. Sit for a while allow your body to settle and regain equilibrium. Hydrate.

The birch leaf bundles are known as switches (vihta). They are used in several ways:

They soak in the bucket to create a tea, when tossed on to the stones create a wonderful aroma.

They can also be placed on the stones for a slow release of loyly and aroma. Ony leave them on the stones until they begin to dry out, then either pour a ladle of water thru them or remove them back to the tea bucket

They can also be used to gently beat oneself, it promotes circulation and easy tense muscles

The stove will need to be restoked with wood from time to time to maintain a hot sauna.